For consistently aiding Anglophone crisis IDPs: Fai Yengo Emmanuel wins Humanitarian Icon Award.

Fai Yengo Emmanuel, who doubles as Head of the Anglophone community in Yaounde V municipality, was declared winner of The Guardian Post 2022 Humanitarian Icon Award in Douala, a few months back.

The unassuming, discreet, philanthropic and publicity-shy son of former Governor, Fai Yengo Francis, becomes the second Cameroonian to win in that category. 

First Lady, Chantal Biya, won The Guardian Post’s Humanitarian Icon Award in 2006, during an award night that was staged at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel. A delegation from the Presidency, led by Habbisou Bidoung, received the prestigious award on behalf of The First Lady, Chantal Biya.

Fai Yengo Emmanuel was voted winner of the award by millions of readers of the Cameroon’s most regularly-published, widely-read, authoritative, credible and leading print media organ, The Guardian Post. 

The Senior Treasury Inspector at the Ministry of Finance, MINFI, who was absent during the award ceremony due to other pressing state duties, was handed the award this weekend in Yaounde.

The delegation to hand him the award comprised the Publisher/Editor-In-Chief of The Guardian Post, Kristian Ngah Christian, and other members of the award jury. 

In a brief speech while handing the award, Ngah said the award initiative was birthed in 2002 to recognise individuals and institutions that, through extraordinary ways, go the extra mile in serving the nation and impacting lives within communities.

He reminded the recipient that the recognitions are based on the decision of millions of The Guardian Post readers spread across the world.

It should be recalled that winners of The Guardian Post Achievement Award are voted by readers of the daily newspaper, while votes-counting and declaration of results are conducted by a jury, made of renowned jurists and top journalists from the public and private media in Cameroon.  

To recall that during the award ceremony in Douala, the President of The Guardian Post Achievement Award jury, Richard Nde Lajong, had explained that Fai Yengo Emmanuel, was shortlisted and finally voted winner for “championing efforts towards ensuring the welfare of the needy, especially persons displaced by the crisis in the North West and South West Regions”. 

Revisiting Fai Yengo Emmanuel’s road to recognition 

Those who know Fai Yengo Emmanuel, it should be recalled, had jumped for joy to celebrate the recognition of the philanthropist and his contribution in impacting Anglophone crisis IDPs living in Yaounde V. 

As Head of the Anglophone community in Yaounde V, Fai Yengo Emmanuel has not only been consistent in succouring IDPs but has also been instrumental in mobilising them to remain law-abiding within their host communities. 

Aside dedicating his private resources to donate basic food items to IDPs, Fai Yengo Emmanuel as also devoted time and energy to lobby for supports from authorities in the Centre Region and beyond to better the lives of IDPs in the Yaounde V Municipality. 

Support to education of IDP pupils, students 

Though far away from home, Fai Yengo Emmanuel has also been doing his utmost to support IDPs to enable them pursue their academic dreams.

Last year, Fai Yengo Emmanuel championed an initiative to donate didactic materials to IDP pupils and students and food items to 250 IDP families in Yaounde. 

The initiative which was dubbed: “Back-to-school humanitarian support to IDP families”, was supported by the Yaounde V Council through its dynamic Mayor, Augustin Bala. 

The gifts were shared to beneficiaries at the Gymnasium of the Yaounde Omnisport Stadium. Present at the ceremony was a cross section of members of government, top state officials, administrative, religious and traditional authorities. 

Beneficiary IDP families went home each with a bag of rice, bag of salt, 10 tablets of Savon, four packets of sugar, five litres of vegetable oil, a bucket, three packets of books, pens, pencils, mark sets, rulers and other writing materials.

Fai Yengo Emmanuel had during the ceremony praised the Yaounde V Mayor for patronising the event and for his generosity to see that Anglophone IDP children go back to school fully equipped within the context of hike in the prices of commodities. 

“The Mayor has been very instrumental in shaping this idea and helping to make sure that we gave what is necessary and helpful for this children,” Fai Yengo Emmanuel had stated.

Fai Yengo Emmanuel said he is just among the few sons of the crisis-hit Regions thinking of their welfare of the IDP families. He had pledged to federate forces with the Mayor to continue rallying support to carter for the needs of the IDP families like access to healthcare and job opportunities among others. 

He, on behalf of the Anglophone community pledged to continuously support the efforts of the Head of State to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the two English-speaking Regions.